One of the fascinating things I have learned (and continue to learn) during my cultural journey of the past several years is that there are many of us who have become adept at operating in bi-cultural or multi-cultural contexts. Life in suburban America (at least in my area) is dominated by the white, Christian modus operandi. There is nothing wrong with this per se except that we need to consider what it means for others who do not "fit" this profile. Since mormons have their own culture, I have learned what it means to operate both inside and outside of that culture as part of my daily life. This is nothing compared to the much bigger challenge of those who face more obvious "labels" such as being a person of color or a person with different abilities. I like learning about how others operate within their different cultural contexts and how they "make it work" in foreign territory. There are some great articles on this subject by Dr. Ella Louise Bell who hails from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. YOu can read more about her at http://www.womensleadershipexchange.com/index.php?pagename=gurus&speakerkey=186.
I am fascinated by individuals who develop the art of being cultural brokers. Have you ever found yourself playing the part of "cultural broker"? Helping others of different "cultures" learn how to communicate better and find common ground? If so, I would love to hear of your stories.
1 comment:
This is a really interesting concept; whereas I think Mormons do an ok job of bridging our secular and spiritual lives (though miles to go), we really struggle with bridging our spiritual lives to those of other religious traditions -- and yet we have so MUCH common ground.
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